Lewyn Martell

Lewyn Martell
Biographical information
Born	Sunspear, Dorne
Died	281 AC The Trident, the Riverlands
Political information
House(s)	Martell
Affiliation(s)	Kingsguard
Title(s)	Prince Ser
Personal information
Culture	Dornish
Religion	Faith of the Seven

"At the Trident, Dorne lost 10,000 men and two princes: my uncle in the Kingsguard, and Elia's gallant husband, Prince Rhaegar, who was too slow or too arrogant for Robert's warhammer."

―Oberyn Martell

Prince Lewyn Martell was a knight in the Kingsguard of King Aerys II Targaryen, who came to be known as "the Mad King."

Biography

Lewyn Martell was the uncle of Doran, Elia, and Oberyn Martell. A younger son, he joined the elite Kingsguard, forswearing any claim to land and title.

Even though Rhaegar dishonored Elia by running off with Lyanna, thus igniting Robert's Rebellion, Lewyn kept his oath and followed Rhaegar to face the rebel army led by Robert Baratheon at the climactic Battle of the Trident. Lewyn perished in the battle, along with Rhaegar and thousands of other Dornishmen.

Family

Husband Deceased

Princess Martell Deceased

Lewyn Martell Deceased

Doran Martell Deceased

Mellario of Norvos

Elia Martell Deceased

Rhaegar Targaryen Deceased

Four lovers

Oberyn Martell Deceased

Ellaria Sand Deceased

Trystane Martell Deceased

Rhaenys Targaryen Deceased

Aegon Targaryen Deceased

Obara Sand Deceased

Nymeria Sand Deceased

Two Sand Snakes

Tyene Sand Deceased

Three Sand Snakes

In the books

In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, Lewyn Martell is remembered fondly by his family as a kind man who loved his extended family. The Kingsguard are forbidden to marry or even to love, and in the past several have been severely punished even for having sexual affairs. As per the customs of Dorne, however, Lewyn continued to secretly keep a paramour. Ser Barristan Selmy and the other Kingsguard were aware of it but kept his secret, as he did not let it interfere with his duty.

Lewyn joined the Kingsguard in part because he was the younger sibling in his generation of House Martell. He was actually the eldest son, but rule passed to his older sister (mother of Doran, Elia, and Oberyn) due to Dorne's gender-blind inheritance laws, different from the rest of the Seven Kingdoms.

At the Battle of the Trident, Lewyn led the large Dornish contingent (10,000 men strong) which threatened to break Robert's left flank. He was ordered to command the Dornish forces by Aerys, who was suspicious of Dorne and House Martell's loyalty and threatened to harm Elia and her children unless Lewyn obeyed. During the fighting he was seriously wounded, and in the confusion Ser Lyn Corbray led a rebel counter-charge in which he personally dueled and killed Lewyn. The vain and arrogant Ser Lyn would in later years boast about how he had personally defeated Lewyn, though in reality Lewyn was already very badly wounded (perhaps mortally so), and Corbray simply finished him off. Littlefinger warns Sansa not to mention that fact, however, as Corbray has a tendency to kill those who point it out.

After Lewyn was killed at the Trident, Aerys became convinced Rhaegar's death in the same battle was the result of Lewyn having betrayed him, and flatly refused to allow Elia and her children to leave King's Landing for Dragonstone along with the pregnant Queen Rhaella and Viserys, convinced the only way to ensure Dorne's loyalty was to keep Elia and his grandchildren by her close at hand, ultimately contributing to their deaths during the Sack of King's Landing. After the end of Robert's Rebellion, as part of the peace negotiations with Doran to ensure Dorne's peaceful acceptance of Robert's rule, Jon Arryn returned Lewyn's bones to Sunspear so the Martells could give him a proper burial.

Appearances

• – "Robert's Rebellion - Oberyn Martell" (mentioned)
• – "The Kingsguard - Jaime Lannister" (illustrated)
• – "Robert's Rebellion - Barristan Selmy" (illustrated)

External links

• Lewyn Martell on A Wiki of Ice and Fire